Five individual business organizations were singled out for their popularity and community leadership at an annual Business of the Year awards on Friday, July 13, sponsored by the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. The event was an outdoor barbecue at the Villa Chanticleer, catered by KR Catering.
Amy’s Wicked Slush, an ice cream and Italian slush dispensary near Healdsburg’s Memorial Beach, opened last year by Boston native Amy Colvin was given the top honor as “very special” business of the year. Besides cooling palates and offering wisps of summertime nostalgia, Colvin also employs many local youth and awards annual student scholarships.
Other winning businesses were Big John’s Market, Portalupi Wines, Healdsburg SHED and the nonprofit Humane Society of Sonoma County — Healdsburg branch.
Chamber board president Eric Markson and chamber CEO Carla Howell announced the award winners as selected by a chamber members’ online polling. Voting was for 49 nominated businesses in a general business, woman-owned, hospitality and nonprofit categories.
Attendees were also entertained by a talk by Leslie Sbrocco, TV host of the KQED show, “Check Please! Bay Area.”
— Rollie Atkinson
